Hi my name is Tony and[br]this is Every Frame a Painting.
Here’s a weird question. Have you ever[br]watched a scene and thought...
That’s a great chair.
I don’t mean the chair would be great[br]to own, though that would be nice.
Just that somebody took the time to find[br]the exact right chair for the story.
And that attention to detail[br]has paid off in some way.
-"There are five different types of[br]chairs in this hotel room."
-"Holy fuck what're they all doing here"[br]-"Five different types of chairs."
-"Get em outta here man."
Because in film,[br]a chair is not just a chair.
It’s a piece of production design.[br]And the type of chair you choose
can say everything about the person[br]and the world they inhabit.
-"You know, my papers.[br]Business papers"
So let’s shop around.
If you’d like to see the film names,[br]press the CC button below.
Let's say you’ve written a story.[br]What use is something like this to you?
Well the first, and most common use[br]of a chair is as extension of the world.
This is how you and I see them every day[br]as part of the environment.
But an audience can take[br]one look at them and tell
whether the world is bright and clean
or a little more run-down
Whether our characters[br]have very little money
or plenty of it
-"You can't sell leaf-tables[br]and no chairs..."
"Chairs, you got a dinette set.[br]No chairs, you got dick!"
Like all production design,[br]the right chair gives us
an entire world to imagine[br]beyond the frame.
-"Ugly old thing."
-"Yet it has a certain appeal."
-"The Lysa Arryn of chairs."
And it also offers a very[br]simple way to show power and hierarchy.
The head of the monarchy.
The captain of the ship.
Or the ruler of the whole empire.
-"Welcome, young Skywalker."
The 2nd, more unusual, use of a chair[br]is as extension of a specific character.
For instance, you might have someone[br]who’s weak and insecure.
-"I have so arranged that he will[br]always be looking up at you...
-"...and you looking down at him."
-"Mm hmm. Very good."
Who tries to keep other people down.
And yet his plans are always challenged[br]and he can never be on top.
-"Very interesting."[br]-"Yes, you like it?"
In other words, a chair can represent[br]the psychology of a person.
If they are vain...
If they lack inhibition...
Or if they really like joysticks.
And if you consider animation,[br]you can push this even further
by drawing chairs that[br]resemble the character.
Notice here how Carl’s square head[br]is similar to his chair
while Ellie’s round head and ears[br]resemble hers.
After she dies,[br]Carl keeps her chair nearby.
So that every time we see it, we’re[br]reminded of how much he loved her.
But the third option is probably[br]the most widely applicable
a chair can be[br]an extension of the situation.
-"And you believed that story?[br]You believed that?"
In this scene from The Godfather Part II[br]notice how Fredo tries to sit up
-"I’ve always taken care of you, Fredo"[br]-"Taken care of me?!?"
but his chair won’t let him.
-"You’re my kid brother,[br]you take care of me?!"
And the more he fidgets,[br]the more powerless he looks.
Francis Ford Coppola: "There was[br]something about that chair..."
"...that worked great for the scene.[br]He kept saying 'I’m your older brother!'
"...and stuff like that, and the chair[br]made him so limp and springy..."
"It just worked great."
The great thing about chairs is that
they change the posture of the actors.
Some chairs don’t let them[br]get comfortable at all.
Others let them get too comfortable.
-"Hello, Bernie."[br]-"Hello Tom, what’s the rumpus?"
And others encourage them[br]to be a little...
-"Blofeld"
...theatrical.
None of these are mutually exclusive.[br]In fact, the most fun happens
when you start with one thing[br]and end up with something else.
In this scene from Playtime,[br]listen to the sound the chair makes.
It’s a simple joke.[br]But a few minutes later
that joke gets extended,[br]with two people and two chairs.
And as the chair keeps re-appearing[br]in scene after scene after scene
it becomes a larger joke about how[br]people always buy the same damn chairs
This is what great[br]production design can get you.
That one detail that[br]pays off in unexpected ways.
And it doesn’t have to be a chair.[br]They're just very common & pretty cheap.
But the next time you have a scene[br]and you ask the actors to sit
Consider this:[br]what do they sit on?
-"This isn't real?"
And is there a way for that object[br]to be something more?
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